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Beverly Hills will Lead on Feral Cat Laws

Date of post: 21-7-09 GMT: I believe that, on 18th August 2009, Beverly Hills will lead on feral cat laws and vote for NEW Trap, Neuter, Return laws rather than reinstating deleted law.

Notice:NEXT COUNCIL MEETING IS AUGUST 18, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. NOT August 4, 2009 WHERE COUNCIL WILL DECIDE – Tina Varjian says..WE NEED YOU THERE BECAUSE WE STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN

Background

Katherine Varjian was practicing trap, neuter, return in Beverly Hills. Some neighbours objected because she put food out. This was allegedly a criminal act under ordinance 5-2-104: FEEDING OF CERTAIN ANIMALS PROHIBITED. She was prosecuted but well defended by her daughter Tina and colleagues. The defence continues but the ordinance concerned was inadvertently deleted mid-prosecution, which gave time, as it happened, to reflect on what they were doing and for people to present a better way forward rather than turning a nice lady, who was doing the city a service, into a criminal.

What is happening now

Currently a selected committee which included Beverly Hills residents – Illona Sherman and others, Marcia Hobbs, Christi Metropole and others as well as city staffers are preparing a proposed ordinance embracing TNR, that is hoped will be a model ordinance on how to manage feral cats in a city. The issues have become much wider, which is fantastic.

I hope and pray that the councillors of Beverly Hills can seize this opportunity and lead the way on the problem of feral cats, which is a problem that is conveniently brushed under the carpet in euthanizing countless millions over the years. The meeting at which a decision will be made whether to reinstate the deleted law (mentioned above) or create new and progressive law is on August 18th 2009. This is a big moment for Beverly Hills because it faces the real issues of feral cats and looks for better and more humane methods of resolving a problem that we (people) created. It is our duty to take the burden of solving it with no further detriment to the feral cat.

What is happening in Beverly has a resonance with the ground breaking declaw ban in West Hollywood. Is there a change in the mood of Americans? In that case the people of West Hollywood decided that veterinarians couldn’t be trusted to manage their affairs properly (well that’s my take on it) and banned declawing. San Francisco might follow. Although the state has now reacted (on an application by the AVMA?) by prohibiting such actions. See Declawing Cats.

Anyway, Tina is fighting the good fight with her doughty colleagues and I think they will get justice and fairness and good sense. But they need all the support that they can get! With their perseverance and the peoples’ support, I believe that Beverly Hills will lead on feral cat laws.